So many photos!

I'm trying to post content as well as photos but for now photos are winning...here are some from Wrightwood to Tehachapi.

A Thank You

Over the last 700 miles I have talked about Trail Angels, trail magic, and all the wonderful folks I have met on the trail.

As I get ready to start hiking to the Sierras, I want to take a moment to thank those people who have supported me the most. My family.

To ALL my family...all your well wishes, support, hugs, and love you have showered upon me has made even the hardest days bearable. When I'm struggling, I stop and let your love wash over me. It renews my energy and keeps me moving forward. That is such a precious gift and I can't imagine hiking this trail without it.

To my brother...thank you for letting me spend my birthday with you, Karen, Austin, and Sammie. While it was a quick visit, it was so nice to enjoy the company of those who I love. Thank you for watching out for me, for wanting to share this hike with me. I know it's hard to watch your little sister hike off into the unknown, but I know you are with me each step of the way.

To my parents. I can't even begin to express how much your support has meant. From joining me at the kick-off, to taking care of me when I needed medical care, to meeting up with me for resupply, to running errands and on and on and on and on....

I know I caught you off guard when I told you my intent to hike the PCT, but you both, despite your extreme reservation about this venture, got on board and became my major supporters. I knew I would hike this trail with or without your support, but now, I can't imagine how I would have done it. If it wasn't for your love and willingness to deal with my iffy scheduling dates, I honestly don't know if I would have made it the first 100 miles.

But I did. And because of your support and love, I made it an additional 600 more.

Now, as I move further away, know that I can do so because of everything you did this first month and a half.

Each and everyone one of you has set me up to win, to hike all 2,650 miles to Canada.

Thank you are just two small words that mean so much.

I have the best family ever!

Love to you all,
Kellie

An update...finally!

First off, my apologies for such a long delay between postings. Service has been pretty much non-existent since I last posted.

So let's get ya'll updated, shall we?

After spending several lovely days at Jim and Jane's, I hit the trail headed for Aqua Dulce, a mere 2 days away. Thank to a gear addition of a sun-reflective umbrella, I was able to meander through Vasquez Rocks at my leisure. I've seen it many times on TV in various shows, but it was much more beautiful and impressive in person.

I enjoyed a day off at the Saufleys (a hiker haven in Aqua Dulce) and then headed out for Casa de Luna a mere 24 miles away. I made it to within 7 miles of that hiker haven and was lucky enough to meet Joe Anderson (one of the Anderson's that run Casa de Luna) at the Oasis cache that they keep stocked with water, soda, and such. Because it was another scorcher of a day (over 100 degrees), I choose to catch a ride instead of slogging through the heat for another couple of hours.

After 2 days of rest and relaxation (and sadly missing the chocolate wrestling)...I got back on the trail headed for Hikertown. Another 2 days and Lava Goat and I found ourselves in the very interesting Hikertown. Imagine an old west movie set with various buildings (we slept in City Hall). A shower and beef stew for dinner was a good setup for a 4:30am departure.

With headlights on, Lava Goat, Lunchbox, and I started the long flat walk along the aqueduct. It was flat and hot. Oh...and after about 16 miles, windy as all get out. The last 3 miles of the trail took almost 3 hours because the winds were so strong. At one point, I was braced against the wind but turned slightly and the wind caught my pack and spun me around in a full circle. People were being blown over and it was really just miserable.

We made it to a canyon hoping to find some relief from the wind but no luck. Tents were being blown down all night and all in all...well, I'm glad I don't live in that area. I can handle a lot of things, but wind just saps my energy to no end.

Another hard day of wind and we all made it into Tehachapi and I spent a much needed 2 days off. It took two showers and a bath to clean off all the dirt and grim that the wind pounded into my skin.

From there...it was on to Kennedy Meadows a mere 140 miles away. This would be the longest time between towns...almost 7 days. Thankfully, Trail Angels had other plans. When I reached Walker Pass, there was the most beautiful site ever...trail magic. Food, drinks, ice cream, fruit, and on and on. I even took advantage of a ride into nearby Lake Isabella to get a couple of hours of cell service.

While I was only there about 24 hours, it was the rest I needed to get through the next 3 days of hot weather and big elevation gains & losses. I think the trail went between 5,000 ft and 8,000 ft about 3 times. The scarcity of water through this entire last section added weight to my pack as I went from carrying 2-3 liters of water to carrying 5-6 liters (an added 8.8 lbs).

I am now at mile 702! I survived the desert and will soon be heading up into the Sierras. I can not express how excited I am to get off the hot, sandy trails that I've been trudging through for miles upon miles.

I'll have photos up as soon as my phone has service.

Oh and I'm also 25% done with the trail!! Only 2 1/2 states left to go :)

Happy Hiking!

How Trail Angels are made...

I had always wondered how trail angels became trail angels. Now I know.

Jim and Jane live a mere 15 minutes from the trail in Acton. As the great aunt and uncle to my wonderful roommate, they graciously offered to host me for a night or two when I came through the area. I was prepared for a place to sleep and a shower. Being part of the Awesome Klosterman family, I should have known better.

3 1/2 days. 10 delicious meals. 1 cozy bed. 2 soaks in the hot tub. 3 showers. 1 very successful fundraiser. And that was just for me.

J & J ended up hosting 7 hikers in all. Virgo, Ninja, Challenger, Beaver Cheeks, Sesame, Lava Goat, and me. And we all got the royal treatment.

Virgo is making a documentary on trail angels and knows their son who got him an invite to their house. Ninja got into puddle dog bush (same effect as poison oak) and got his clothes and himself decontaminated at their house. Challenger was in the right place at the right time and not only got a place to stay, but a ride to urgent care to take care of a foot issue and a place to heal for a few days. Beaver Cheeks & Sesame were picked up from a restaurant and treated to a bbq that night and omelets before hitting the trail the next day. And Lava Goat got a bed, shower, dinner (w/home grown artichokes), soak in the hot tub, and a delicious breakfast before dragging Challenger and me back onto the trail.

And the awesomeness didn't stop with J & J...their friends were gracious and generous with their donations to the JDRF. It was a joy to share the trail with a whole group of people and hear their stories of living in the area.

Being part of the first group to introduce J & J to trail angeling is something special. It wasn't my intent going in, but after spending time basking in their welcoming home, I can't imagine these two NOT becoming trail angels. Even if just for a week or two of the year.

So...thank you Jim and Jane for welcoming me and all the others into your home. For making us feel like part of your family. For filling our stomachs and replenishing our souls. I hope someday to give back to you what you gave to all of us.

Photos...
Sesame, Beaver Cheeks, Challenger, Sunshine, and me.
Jim, Jane, and Sunshine
Some of the folks who came to the fundraiser.

And more photos...

<p>I really need to take 3 days off so I can post everything I want to, but in the meantime....here are photos from Idyllwild to Lake Silverwood.</p>

Photos...

From mile 166 to Idyllwild.

Skipping and Flipping

I had two goals when I started my hike: 1. To complete it and 2. To make it a "no flips, no skips" hike.

Due to my lovely foot infection I had to skip 30 miles. Then, due to extreme heat, I skipped another ~60 miles from Cabazon to Big Bear.

On Tuesday, I'll skip the hot, waterless section that is entirely uphill out of the Cajon Pass and jump to Wrightwood.

I thought I would detest skipping. I thought I could tough it out. But thankfully with age comes wisdom. I know myself really well and I know exactly what heat (temps above 95) does to me.

I know of 1 experienced hiker who suffered from dehydration and another who has had to get off the trail in order to make a full recovery from the same thing.

So, in order to preserve my health, I'm skipping over those sections that would cause me harm and will complete them in October when it's a tad cooler out.

I think this strategy will help me achieve my first goal...to complete the PCT.

Hike safely. Hike on.

Trail Angels

Here are some photos of a few of the amazing PCT trail angels:

- Ziggy (Got to chat a bit about knitting with her.)
- The Bear (who grew up in the Seattle neighborhood that I currently live in - small world.)
- Shepherd with the amazing rootbeer float!
- Kay with Sparrow & The Barracuda, Kay, Style, and Taka.

Photos from the hike

Here are some photos from between miles 100 and 166.

Lunch spots...

Here are photos of my last two lunch spots...Big Bear lake and under Deep Creek bridge.

200 miles

I reached the 200 mile mark on Mothers Day!

Angels and Magic

I've talked about Trail Angels and Trail Magic in an earlier post.

Here are the Angels and Magic I've experienced so far...

• Mt. Laguna - Pine House: This restaurant is usually not open on Mondays & Tuesdays but the wonderful folks here opened up with a menu just for us hikers. It was unexpected and wonderful!
• Warner Springs Community Center: With the hot spring resort closed, the AWESOME folks of the WSCC set up a small store, gave hikers a place to sleep, access to showers, and made the most delicious burgers (lunch), tri-tip (dinner), and scrambled eggs & potatoes (breakfast) that money could buy. For about $35, a hiker could get all this plus the knowledge that all the money was going to the community. In fact, I read that the CC raised enough money from the hikers that they don't have to do anymore fundraising this year! Go hikers!
• Chris & Becky: I was hiking into Idyllwild with sore feet and fading energy. I had just started a three mile side trail into town when I met two hikers coming the other direction. I confirmed I was on the right trail (I missed the trail head sign) and after a bit of talking, Chris and Becky offered me a ride into town. They put my pack in their trunk, waived off my apologies for my smell, and drove me directly to Idyllwild Inn. It may seem like such a small thing, but that ride and those few moments with this lovely couple just renewed my energy and made me smile for the rest of the day. Thank you Trail Angels!
• Random group of hikers on Mt. San Jacinto: I was approaching the turn off to the Fuller Ridge trail head when I came across a group of folks taking a break before heading to the top of San Jacinto. I stopped to check my map and we all got to talking. One gentleman offered me fresh mango and pineapple. At that moment, it was the best tasting fruit in the world! I find that spending even just a bit of time with people talking about the trail just raises my spirit so much, I almost (almost) floated down the trail with renewed energy. Thank you RGoH for your trail magic and wonderful energy! Hike on!
• Bob: After a long day of hiking 16+ miles in 105 degrees with little shade, rough trails, and angry bees, I came to the first water source in 20 miles. In the near middle of nowhere, the lovely Desert Water Agency installed a drinking fountain. It was the most beautiful site ever! Cold clear water we didn't have to filter OR treat! Yum! Then...it got better. Bob was getting off work and offered to take us (Sparrow, The Barracuda, Taka, and me) the 4 miles to the 10 freeway underpass. Getting to miss 4 miles of sandy, hot trail was just what I needed. I should feel bad about skipping it, but I'm not. So thank you Bob (and Bob's wife for letting him get home late!) for getting us out of the heat and a bit closer to Ziggy and The Bear!
• Kay & Lake to Lake: When Bob dropped us off at the 10 frwy underpass, we headed for the coolers and sign-in log. What we found was Kay. This Trail Angel (along with the non-present Lake to Lake) brought cold drinks, fresh watermelon, hard-boiled eggs, salad, fried chicken, tortellini salad, and chocolate cake for all the hungry tired hikers passing by. What a treat! We dove into the food with gusto and was soon joined by Style who was just as ecstatic as the rest of us. Overall, 23+ hikers were treated to great food, drink, and company! 
• Ziggy and The Bear: These Trail Angels are the FIRST Angels to buy their home because of its close location to the PCT. They not only welcome hikers by letting us sleep in their backyard, they provide food, drinks, ICE CREAM!, carpets to sleep on, internet, and overall awesomeness. They go above and beyond to help us and keep us going on the trail. It's an oasis in the desert!
• Other hikers: PCT hikers are amazing. It's almost ingrained to look out for each other, to help each other when we can. Whether it's bringing cold water out to a hiker coming in on a super hot day, an encouraging word, or a hotel room to share (with a shower!), everyone is looking out for everyone else. This makes the hike even more fulfilling!

Thank you to ALL the Trail Angels I've encountered along the way. I didn't know just how important you all are to the trail and the hiker community. You turn a great hike into an amazing experience.

Happy hiking!

This is Only A Test

Trail name: A name traditionally bestowed upon a hiker by other hikers while on the trail.

Most hikers have a trail name. Some names come from a physical feature, an personality trait, or most often, something that happened on the trail.

Mine is the latter.

On day 5, while hiking to Laguna campground, Lava Goat and I stopped at Burnt Ranch campground to have lunch and rest a bit. We went and had lunch, then came back to the campsite to chat with other hikers who had showed up. Part of my rest involves putting my feet up on my pack to help reduce the swelling.

For those that don't know, I'm carrying a SPOT. It is a personal GPS device that allows me to send "I'm ok" messages to my family, request non-emergency help, or request 911 "send the helicopters".

When I went to put my feet up, I laid my pack down on the ground. After about 20 minutes, we all noted the Sheriff helicopter flying in small circles right by where we were.

Within a few minutes, I got that sinking-in-my-stomach feeling and checked my SPOT. Sure enough, when I had laid my pack down, the 911 button had been pressed.

A quick check of my phone (which had been turned off) showed calls from the local Sheriff AND my mom. D'oh!

I made the important call first. I called my mom. I assured her that I was just fine and my dad called the Sheriff to let them know it was a false alarm.

After much panic and a couple rounds of phone calls, the search was called off and I got a new trail name.

Only a Test.

The full name is: This is a test of the PCT SPOT emergency response system. This is Only a Test.  

Photos...

Here are some photos from the last few days...

A small cave.
Bacon repelling into the cave.
View of the PCT through an open field.
Eagle Rock.
Me on Eagle Rock.

Day 11 - Breakfast!

Mom made gluten free strawberry shortcake. Was supposed to be dessert last night but we saved it for breakfast instead. Yum!

Day 10 - R.I.C.E.

Yesterday was my scheduled zero day and today I was supposed to hike 14 miles. Due to an infected blister on my foot, I'm taking a nero day and hiking about 5 miles or so.

So right now, I'm R.I.C.E.ing (rest. ice. compress. elevate.)  The photo is Bacon reenacting my current state instead of me posting a really gross photo of my foot.

See how much I care about y'all?  :-)

100 miles!

Days 2 - 9

Hi all,

So sorry for the long delay in posting. My solar charger isn't getting enough sun to fully charge my phone (let alone my camera and iPod) so have had to keep phone usage to a minimum.

But my wonderful parents have been running around trying to find me alternative charging options which I get to try out tomorrow.

So here is a brief review of this last week (note that all mileage is rounded to nearest whole mile):

Day 1: 20 miles Campo to Lake Morena
Day 2 & 3: Zero - Kickoff party
Day 4: 12 miles - to Fred Canyon
Day 5: 16 miles - to Laguna Campground
Day 6: 16 miles - to Chariot Canyon
Day 7: 15 miles - to a dry creek bed aka Campsite 79
Day 8: 17 miles - to a tiny trailside campsite meant for maybe 2 but we managed to get 5 of us in there (no tents, just slept under the stars).
Day 9 (Friday): 14 miles - to Warner Springs.

That's about 110 miles in 7 hiking days!

I'm taking Sat off to rest my very unhappy feet and reorganize my pack to lighten my load, then back on the trail Sunday.

I'll add photos in another post.

Happy hiking all!

Day 1 and change...

It's Saturday now. The plan was to get up early on Thursday and hike the first 20 miles back to camp. The "get up early" part happened, but the hike got delayed until almost noon. Apparently, most people don't like to hike in the rain if they don't have too.

The rain let up just before 11 so Nugio and I packed up the essentials and the folks drove us to the beginning of the PCT (photos to come).

After photos and hugs, we headed out. Stopping for photos, pointing out various sites, and checking the map to quickly became the norm.

We got passes by several folks (usually while stopping to take photos) got to meet John T., couple guys from Jersey who are section hiking, and Paint Your Wagon who was carrying ALL his gear for the entire hike! I'm curious to find him at hear just how much he sent on ahead!

Made it to Hauser Creek (15 miles) around 6:30. Stopped for a sock change, throw some tape on the balls of my feet, and a quick snack before the 1,000 ft climb out of the canyon and the final 5 miles back to camp.

Around 7:30 stopped to finish off the third liter of nuunerade (tm M. deVreize), threw on the head lamps and beelined it for camp, shower, food, and tent.

Barreled into camp around 9ish. Checked in with the folks the heading for the camp showers and hot water. Did I mention it was cold out? I reluctantly left the hot water as the promise of hot food was waiting for me. Gluten free spaghetti (my parents are AWEsome) filled me up and I headed off to bed to sleep like the dead.

That was Day 1!

More to come :-)